


Land of a Million Gates

by DaireneCallahan



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Sword Art Online (Anime & Manga), 英雄伝説 閃の軌跡 | Sen no Kiseki | The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel (Video Games)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:41:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27903883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaireneCallahan/pseuds/DaireneCallahan
Summary: Sinon is reborn as a Valkyrie in a world long embroiled in a war between light and dark...
Kudos: 1





	1. Rebirth in a Strange World

March 17, 1197 EC (Erisian Calendar)

South of Ordis Town, Nilfgaard County, Continent of Pandyssia, Alliance of Counties, World of Serus…

Sinon shivered and stirred within the cold, dark, and wet space she was in. "Wh- what- ?!" She gasped. "Where am I?" She touched the soft, slimy sides of the cocoon-like structure she was in. "H- How did- did I get in here?!" She exclaimed. "Help me!"

Struggling, she forced her way out of the leathery skin, which opened as if expecting her. She plopped down onto a stony surface, and she was astonished to see a small crowd of people, young and old, men and women, children and adults claps and cheer with excitement.

"Ehhh?!"

"Hey, you alright there? Stuff can be a little disorienting here at times."

Sinon looked up to the source of the voice, and saw a tough-looking redhead girl in a bold, midriff-baring outfit, a ponytail, and tattoos on her left arm and flank. The tattooed girl handed Sinon a towel. "Here, wipe yourself off. My, aren't you a cutie? That blue hair is adorable… and so are your… assets. What's your name, by the way?"

"Uh…" Sinon hesitated, as she took the towel, then offered. "Sinon… well, it's Shino Asada, but people call me Sinon."

"Okay. So what can you remember? Where do you come from?"

Sinon opened her mouth to speak, only to realize to her shock that she was drawing a blank. "Wh- what- I- "

"Don't mess with her, Shirley," Another redhead girl with a camera around her neck stepped forward and chided the first girl. "They never remember, we were the same way." She knelt next to Sinon. "Don't worry if you can't remember anything. That's normal around here. My name's Mahiru Koizumi. You're, um, what people around here call a 'Valkyrie'."

"What's a Valkyrie?" Sinon blurted agitatedly. "And who put me… in that thing? And why?"

"Calm down, please," Mahiru patted Sinon gently on the shoulder. "We are Valkyries, young women who emerge from pods like the one you were just in. As to where we come from… well, your guess is as good as mine. The Church of Eris believes we are beings from another world, brought here by the Gods and Goddess of Light to combat the encroaching darkness- especially crediting our world's patron goddess, Eris."

"So… is that what you believe?" Sinon asked, genuinely intrigued.

"I… reserve my judgment for now. There's still so much about this world… or any world, really. Come on, enough talk, let's get you cleaned up and changed.

Sinon nodded dumbly and followed docilely as she was led away through the crowd.

Mahiru guided Sinon onto the back of a small cargo truck, while Shirley clambered into the cab. They drove for a few minutes and reached a small, bustling town, which Sinon saw through a slat Mahiru opened for her.

"This is the town of Ordis, the county capital of Nilfgaard. I'll take you around town when we get the chance. For now, we're going to head right to the garage, okay?" Mahiru patted Sinon on the back. "It'll avoid any prying eyes."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

An hour later, Valkyrie Guild Ordis Office, Ordis Town…

Mahiru walked up to the room that had been temporarily lent to Sinon and knocked on the door. "Are you still trying on clothes? May I come in?"

"Oh, no, I already finished," Sinon, now dressed in a green jumpsuit that Mahiru had fished out of the Guild wardrobe, hastily sat up on the bed she had been resting on. "Sorry… I was feeling tired, so I kinda dozed off…"

She got off the bed and opened the door in a hurry. "Mahiru? Shirley? Do… you need me for something?"

"Aren't you hungry?" Mahiru brought in a food tray with a plate of crackers and cookies, a muffin, and a glass of orange juice, and set it on a nightstand. "I brought you a snack. I would've cooked you dinner, but Shirley's planning a party, inviting some members of the Valkyrie Guilds at Bellguard, Sirnack, and Utgard. Maybe even a few Ordis notables. So you might preserve some stomach space for then."

"Well… thanks a lot," Sinon acknowledged sheepishly, picking up the muffin and biting into it.

"Speaking of which…" Mahiru turned to look at Sinon. "You didn't choose the skirt or jeans? Not that I'm complaining- that's quite the look. It's just that I wasn't expecting that from you…"

"Well, the jeans weren't the right size, and I didn't like the skirt. I can't explain it, but the jumpsuit just felt more… right."

"Hmm… who knows, could be something from your past life. Occasionally, our memories are triggered by certain objects or situations- I think that's a good thing." She gestured to her own camera. "I was a photographer in my former life. Taking pictures sometimes… reminds me of things. I think… I was a war photographer. I remember terrible… atrocious things."

She shook her head. "No matter… it is what it is."

"I see…" Sinon said quietly in a mournful tone.

"Hey, uh, is the melancholy over?" Shirley interjected awkwardly, and the two girls turned to see Shirley standing in the doorway, holding a sniper rifle.

"Ah, Shirley, are you-" Mahiru began.

Ignoring Mahiru, Shirley placed the rifle onto the bed next to Sinon. "This was recovered from a secondary pod adjacent yours."

Sinon finished wolfing down the muffin and looked down at the rifle. Then she gaped dumbly. "Wha-?"

Yet there was something about weapon that drew her toward it. She reached out instinctively to stroke the barrel. "Hecate…"

"Explain to her, please…" Mahiru sighed tiredly. "Most Valkyries come to this world with a secondary pod carrying a tool, or weapon, or possession of some kind. Mine was my camera here, Shirley's was her kick-ass weapon, and yours seems to be that sniper rifle."

"A PGM Ultima Ratio," Shirley whistled suggestively. "Impressive weapon! Perhaps you could show me around it, cutie?"

"Shirley!" Mahiru chided, furrowing her brow. "Perhaps we should be teaching her about the world instead?"

"Ah, now that to mention it…" Sinon began. "What is 'this world'? Where am I?"

Mahiru gave a pointed look at Shirley, before going over to an office returned with a map she procured.

She then laid it on the bed next to Sinon.

"This territory here, within these four walls, is Nilfgaard County," Shirley explained. "Each territory enclosed by four of these walls is called a county. A bit of an archaic term."

"Archaic...?"

"Yeah, many counties aren't ruled by counts... and out here on the frontier, most counties aren't ruled by any sort of noble house anymore," Shirley jabbed a finger toward the east. "Thirty-six kilometers that way is Highland County, ruled by Baron Rickard Karstark. The Karstarks are one of the last nobles this close to the front. Nilfgaard used to belong to them too, but forty years ago, old Rickard's grandmother, Baroness Lysara, allowed a referendum. Nilfgaard voted to establish a democratic system with a Mayor and a County Council."

"I see... Are nobles more common elsewhere, then?"

"Yeah," Mahiru nodded. "I hear there's a ton of them deeper in Alliance territory, on the continents east of here."

"Continents...?" Sinon inclined her head thoughtfully. "I... don't remember much, but I think my homeworld couldn't have had a lot of them-"

She was cut off when the downstairs bell began ringing.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" A young woman's voice shouted loudly.

"Eh?" Shirley's eyes widened. "I'll go see what it is. She hurried downstairs, with Mahiru and Sinon following slowly behind her.

A breathless young woman wearing light armor stood just inside the front door. "Hello?! Is anyone here? It's an emergency! We need backup, now!"

"Oh, hey, Anelace," Shirley greeted as she sprinted into the atrium. "Did something happen at Bellguard again?"

"Something's always happening at Bellguard," Anelace retorted sharply, before continuing. "The Capua Sky Bandits hit our base while Sonya's team was out on a sortie! They looted our sepith and quartz stores and disabled orbal communications! They got jammers or something! Then to top everything off, the Imps and a fuck-ton of demons showed up!"

"Oh boy, that is quite a mess indeed! But it also sounds like fun," Shirley smirked. "Hold on, I'll be right here!"

"Mahiru, take care of the newbie for me! Looks like we'll have to postpone the party!" The taller girl grabbed a number of small potions off the receptionist desk and stuffed them in her waist bag, before following Anelace out the door.

"Off she goes at the slightest sign of trouble as always," Mahiru muttered sighing exasperatedly, as she watched them from the stairwell, but she couldn't quite conceal the worry in her voice.

"Is- is something w-wrong?" Sinon inquired nervously, following behind Mahiru. "So… where did Shirley go, if I may ask?"

"Oh, right. There was an attack on Bellguard Gate, which defends the western gateway into Nilfgaard County. Unfortunately, those are pretty common- by the Empire, the Horde, not to mention various rebel or bandit groups."

Sinon's eyes widened in alarm. "If I may ask, are we-"

"We're not in any danger-" Mahiru paused, then corrected herself. "We're not in any significant danger. Our Gate garrisons are usually quite good at preventing enemy penetration, but occasionally some enemies do get over the wall and into the interior. But this town, Ordis, has a unit of Army troops, competent County forces, and a Citizen Militia. Well enough to deal with any enemy stragglers that make it past the wall."

"The walls? Gate garrisons?"

"Sorry… forgot you're new to this world," Mahiru apologized. "How about we resume that geography lesson?"

"That would help, thanks…"

Mahiru led Sinon into the office and unfolded the map again. "This here is Nilfgaard County, where we currently live. Like other counties, it's a square territory 36 kilometers by 36 kilometers, surrounded by fifty-meter walls. Apparently, the walls and gates cover the entire continent- and other continents as well, from what I've heard. Some Valkyries have come to calling this the 'Land of the a Million Gates'. Bellguard Gate is here, at the very western edge of Nilfgaard- and across that gate is Inab County, which is unfortunately Imperial territory.

And here, in the eastern part of Nilfgaard, is the county capital of Ordis, where we are. Your pod was found just south of here. To the far west is Bellguard Gate, which is one of the bulwark of our defense against the Dark Empire. There's also Sirnack Gate to the south, which forms our border with Lee County, which sadly fell into the Empire's hands over fifty years ago. To the north is Tangram Gate, which borders Crossbell County, which fell to the Empire just two years ago. There are still a sizable number of Crossbellian refugees in Nilfgaard, though most have relocated deeper within Alliance territory."

"So I take it we are this 'Alliance'? Our side?"

"Yes, the Alliance of Counties. For the past five centuries or so, we have fought against the aggression of the Dark Empire and their demonic Horde allies, together forming the so-called Realm of Darkness- in what is known as the Great War." Mahiru took out a bigger map, showing an entire continent. People say, once the Alliance spanned the width of the continent of Pandyssia, but the Empire has driven us to the very eastern edge. A mere… 46 counties clinging to the east coast… if none of them have fallen lately."

"That sounds… horribly precarious." Sinon raised an eyebrow.

"Perhaps," Mahiru shrugged, but for most of the people here, this is their home. And Bellguard Gate has held off enemy assaults for nearly two centuries. It's easy for people to feel secure here despite everything… even if it seems a little complacent in the face of Crossbell's demise," Mahiru shrugged sadly. "East of Pandyssia is the Sciencia Sea, across which is the interior of Alliance territory. The Alliance is quite vast; its propaganda claims holdings on thirteen continents- though some of them are heavily-contested with the Empire. But you don't need to concern yourself with that," Mahiru gestured back to the map of Nilfgaard. "Now, back to our own county. At the eastern end of Nilfgaard is Zhukov Gate, which marks the border with Highland County. If you want to travel deeper within the Alliance, get away from the front, you need to apply for travel documents there. Now, aside from Ordis, there are two more permanent settlements in Nilfgaard. Due north of us is Utgard Citadel, a fortified castle that once served as the seat of an ancient noble family, House Utgare. Today, it serves as the county's predominant military command center, though a considerable number of merchants, specialized workers, and their families have settled there. And in the far northeast corner of Nilfgaard is the village of Potstock's Corner, which serves as a bit of an informal trade hub with Rostov County to the northeast, but is also susceptible to raids from enemy forces in Crossbell.

To the west of Ordis, linked by the Danube River is Zenker Lake. And north of Zenker, but southwest of Tangram, you have the Grenadine Forest. Both aren't permanently-inhabited, but the Army and stuff set up small camps there, and Ordis does organize armed expeditions to go fishing, hunting, woodcutting, and what-have-you. It's hazardous though, because demons and monsters from the Horde which slip over the wall, often nest there, while outlaws and bandits frequently hide out there too."

"That- that is all… A LOT to take in…" Sinon mumbled, feeling overwhelmed.

"That's natural," Mahiru chuckled. "You've already taken it much better than I did originally. Also, we HAVE been talking for way too long- you must be hungry. Those crackers aren't going to be enough. And since it looks like Shirley's party won't be happening, lemme cook you something."

"That won't be necessary-" Sinon began, only to realize sheepishly just how much her stomach craved a hot meal.

"Well, if you would…"


	2. Decisions

March 18, 1197 EC (Erisian Calendar)

Valkyrie Guild Headquarters in Ordis Town, Nilfgaard County, Continent of Pandyssia, Alliance of Counties, World of Serus…

It was well past midnight and Sinon was sound asleep in her new bed in the crew quarters behind the Guild Office, when the door to her bedroom suddenly burst open.

"S-Sinon?" A timid, unfamiliar voice spoke out. "P-Please wake up!"

"Wha- what-" Sinon hastily wiped the sleep from her eyes, and looked up to see a nervous young woman with blond hair standing over her bed, holding a staff of some kind. "Why are you here?"

"Ma-Mahiru told me to w-wake you! W-We're in d-danger! P-Please follow me downstairs!"

Alarmed, Sinon bolted up, and grabbed the sniper rifle she'd propped against the wall next to her bed, before following the timid girl down the stairs.

Mahiru, and another girl with short, cropped brunette hair and a cursory cast over her right arm, were both crouched behind a dressed shoved against the door as a makeshift barricade. Both were clutching pistols.

"What's going on?" Sinon hissed nervously.

"First off, brief intros," Mahiru stated firmly. "I've already told them about you, so..." She pointed at the blonde girl whose hair was tied into buns. "That's Tatiana Rurika, she's some kind of magic arts caster."

"Orbal arts..."

"Yeah, anyway," Mahiru gestured to the wounded brunette. "That's Yukari Takeba. She's best at archery, but she can handle a pistol too. 'Sides, she has some other... special ability."

"Yeah, let's go with that," Yukari sighed. "Good to meet you, SInon."

"Now, here's the situation: apparently some enemies scaling on top of the wall from Lee County overran Bellguard South Outpost, and poured down into Nilfgaard."

"Yeah, this is pretty rare, so looks like you have shit luck, newbie," Yukari looked at Sinon with a mournful look. "Especially after I hurt my arm fighting at Bellguard earlier today."

"The speed of the attack was so great, most of the Citizen Militia wasn't even able to rush to their posts before Ordis was breached. Now they've retreated to defending a few key locations and firing down from rooftops. The streets have already been overrun."

"This is why I keep saying we need to build a wall around Ordis," Yukari sighed exasperatedy. "Our current barricades don't do much good when they're not manned."

"Furthermore, Sato is still out there! She left with Saten and Rosine to extract a group of civilians, but they haven't come back yet!"

"You're just worried about your beloved Sato!" Yukari chided. "And they probably just doubled back to the Cathedral is all!"

"BAM!" A loud impact sound could be heard, like something had rammed the side of the building, noticeably vibrating the very walls of the guildhouse.

"Damn it, they're already here!" Yukari cursed.

"I'm so sorry, but can you and Yukari hold the fort here?" Mahiru began barking out orders. "Tatiana, come with me, let's go check that thing out!"

"Y-Yes, ma'am-!" Tatiana's eyes were wide with terror as she scampered after Mahiru.

"Oh, shit, looks like another wave's incoming!" Yukari exclaimed. "They've got Boarbatusks and Beowulfs!"

Sinon's eyes widened in dismay as a swarm of monsters, some looking like demonic, giant boars, others resembling werewolves, flooded around a corner, barreling at their building.

She brought her sniper rifle into position and leveled her scope. And, as it was somehow strangely familiar to her, she aimed and fired, aimed and fired, picking off monster after monster, as if it were muscle memory.

Leaving the street strewn with monster corpses, Sinon lowered her rifle, panting with a strange... exhilaration. "Is that the last of them?"

"Yeah, appears so... for this wave, at least," Yukari stared bug-eyed at Sinon. "Wowzers! You totally wiped the floor with me! Remind me not to get on your bad side, will you?"

"How did they know where we were? Were they coming for us?"

"Well, the ordinary monsters and demons are pretty dumb, but they can receive instructions from more powerful and smarter monsters and demons," Yukari explained. "That's the simple way of explaining it. Also, the Dark Empire has things like beast-trainers, and demonic flutes that can control their actions.

As for 'us', I'm sure the Valkyrie Guild isn't the only place they've hit- I'm sure they're also attacking guard outposts, the Cathedral, Mayoral Office, and headquarters of the Army, Police, and Citizen Militia."

Their brief respite was interrupted by a loud avian shriek followed by an even louder staccato of a very large gun firing off bursts of ammunition.

"Crap!" Yukari exclaimed. "That's the anti-aircraft gun on the roof! What's happening now?!"

"What do we do?" Sinon asked anxiously. "Will Mahiru be okay?"

"We've got no choice but to stay here," Yukari shook her head. "Someone has to guard this entrance-"

She was interrupted as a panicked Tatiana ran down the stairs from the second floor. "S-Sinon! Ma-Mahiru wants you t-to go to the r-roof! I-I'll stay here w-with Y-Yukari!"

"Oh great..." Yukari mumbled exasperatedly.

"Understood!" Sinon affirmed, and bolted up the stairwell.

When she got to the roof, she saw a ZPU-4 quadruple-barrel anti-aircraft gun emplacement swiveling about, and firing away at swarms of dark shapes flying toward them.

Sinon raced over to the control cab, where Mahiru operating the fierce defense. "Mahiru!"

"Sinon, there's a hatch on the ground to the right!" Mahiru shouted, not skipping a beat in firing the anti-air gun. "There's an AA gun concealed down there- you look like you can shoot, so-!"

"On it!" Sinon exclaimed, surprising even herself with her alacrity. She sprung open the hatch and clambered down into another turret control cab. "Damn, this is crazy..."

Sinon pressed an obvious button labeled "Activate", and the turret powered on and ascended upward, with a concrete and steel barrier opening so the gun faced the night sky. "Holy crap, holy crap..." She swiveled her head around a rotating parabolic radar antenna, glancing at all the screens, including radar, motion sensors, infrared, normal visual, night vision, and magic sensors.

She took aim at the first dark shape incoming and opened fire, shredding what appeared to be some sort of giant bird, like a crow or raven.

One of the side screens, which Sinon glanced at out of the corner of her eye, said "Grimm Nevermore", followed by a likely-descriptive text.

"Great, I'm sure I'll read up all about this when I've got the time," Sinon quipped, only half-mockingly. She continued to swivel about, gunning down another swarm of monster birds.

"Nice work!" Mahiru congratulated over the radio. "With two guns, it's like a turkey shoot! Wait, look, there's some Sinister Hornets incoming! Stay sharp, they stick low to the ground and rise up the side of the building vertically, to try and ambush you!"

"Got it!" Sinon confirmed, as she continued to fire at enemy targets. "Yipes!" She shot a giant hornet, splashing it apart. "Yuck, that's nasty…"

"Glinthawks incoming from the south! Watch out, those are durable!" Mahiru warned.

A group of a dozen fast-flying avian shapes zoomed toward them, in strangely-coordinated formation.

"Yikes, those birds are fast!" Mahiru fired upon them, hitting a lead bird with a series of bright impact flashes.

But as their lead fell apart, the other birds peeled away in perfect formation, splitting apart in arcs of five and six, seemingly unaffected by the loss of their leader. In a brief flash from a near-miss tracer round, Sinon glimpsed that they were most-certainly not actual birds, rather twisted, mechanical imitations.

"What are those?"

"Glinthawks are flying robots used by the Empire," Mahiru stated grimly, focusing fire on the lead Glinthawk on the right. "They're a nasty piece of work, but swift and durable!"

Sinon managed to gun down another Glinthawk, but another landed on her turret and began spitting a liquid onto one of the joints, causing alarms to light up in the control cab. "The fuck?!"

"Watch out, Glinthawks have an attack where they can spit- " Mahiru stopped mid-sentence. "A dozen archaisms inbound! From the southwest!" Mahiru warned. "Vogel 235s!"

"I have no idea what those are!" Sinon groaned.

"Sorry! Those are robots with cannons!"

"Crap, how are there so many of them?!" Sinon exclaimed, now firing madly into at the targets in the sky.

"Gahh!" Mahiru cried out as the Vogels closed in and opened fire on on her turret. They're taking out the hydraulics!"

There was an explosion, lost amid all the sounds of fighting, and the turret ground to a halt.

"Damn it!" Mahiru drew her sidearm and opened the control cab door. "I'll buy you some time!"

"No, Mahiru!" Sinon shrieked. "What are you doing?!"

Mahiru didn't respond, but instead opened fire on one of the circling Glinthawks.

The mechanical monstrosity sparked, but turned and lunged at Mahiru, spitting a blue projectile.

The blue glow impacted Mahiru's arm and the glow vanished, and Mahiru screamed in pain, crumbling to her knees.

"Mahiru!" Sinon shouted in shock over the radio.

"D- don't- j- just k-keep fighting!" Mahiru gritted through a teary voice. She forced herself to fire a couple more shots as she stumbled back into the control cab. "S-Sorry-!"

By this time, Sinon, was firing desperately, as the Glinthawks and Vogels now swarmed her own turret. Alarms blared around her control cab as various system failures began to set in.

"No!" Sinon exclaimed, desperately aiming her sniper rifle. She fired right through the glass, blasting the head off a Glinthawk. As they scattered, she picked off a slower, but more-armored Vogel, using several shots to punch through its metal carapace.

She regained control of her turret, but it could no longer aim effectively, but Sinon continued to fire it persistently at any targets of opportunity.

It was then that she heard the metal of the control cab began to creak. "What the-?!"

Then the control cab collapsed sideways, like a deck of cards.

"GAHHH!" Sinon shrieked in agony as a heavy metal support slammed down onto her abdomen, pinning her to the ground. "Fuck! AAHH!"

More debris from the collapsing control cab further trapped Sinon in place, and she moaned painfully.

"No, fuck, I can't die- no, no, not like this- " Sinon babbled, almost delirious with pain. Her body wracked with a fit of coughing, and Sinon was horrified to see what she had coughed up was a large volume blood. "Oh shit, please, no, no, no..."

Then everything went black.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

March 20, 1197 EC

When Sinon came to, she was lying in a bed in what looked like an infirmary.

"Wh-Whaat t-thhhe... w-wherre am I-" She slurred, trying to sit up. The world spun around her, and she had trouble trying to focus.

"Holy crap, she's awake!" A woman in a nurse's uniform ran over. "Sinon, is it? Don't try to move! You're safe- but badly hurt!"

In danger of blacking out again, the dizzy Sinon fell back into bed.

Someone that Sinon recognized very clearly as Shirley walked over beside the nurse. "Heeey, hottie, you might want still get some rest, yeah? You got some bad internal injuries after your little heroics yesterday, and the nurse's got you all doped up on painkillers."

"Shirrrley..." Sinon forced a smile, before chuckling insensibly to herself.

"Uh, please- don't take advantage of her- not when she's high as balls," Mahiru's voice came from nearby. "She's also hurt far worse than me or the others."

"What, you jealous?" Shirley joked.

"What- NO!" Mahiru shouted defensively. "I'm not a playgirl like you! My eyes are only on Sato!"

"Aaalll safeee? Evvveryone?" Sinon asked.

"Mahiru's arm and shoulder have serious cyro burns," Shirley responded to Sinon's inquiry. "The Grimm creatures also penetrated the Guild entrance and mauled Yukari and Tatiana pretty bad. Well, nowhere as bad as you- they mostly mangled their limbs. Would've been worse if the reinforcements hadn't arrived from Sirnack and the County Army in time. They'll make a full recovery." Shirley paused a moment before continuing, "Has Mahiru taught you about how Valkyries heal?"

"No, I thought there would be time..." Mahiru piped up from the other bed. "And she's clearly in no shape for a lesson just now."

"True," Shirley nodded. "No need to rush, I suppose. The newbie's been through enough. Luckily, the flood of reinforcements we got should ensure that won't be necessary."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Two days later, on March 22, 1197 EC

Valkyrie Guild Headquarters at Bellgard Gate, Nilfgaard County, Continent of Pandyssia, Alliance of Counties, World of Serus…

Sinon took deep breaths as she strode as confidently as she could up to the Valkyrie Guild Building at Bellguard Gate.

A number of soldiers and Valkyries whispered and pointed conspicuously as she passed, and Sinon did her best to ignore them.

"Is that the new girl?

"That's a wicked looking rifle- hope she's just as good with it."

"Don't be a buzzkill, Serena. I look forward to seeing what she can do."

At the front desk, a young woman with frilly blonde hair greeted her. "Hi, Sinon! Have you come to register with the Guild?"

"Yes… I take it you've already heard about me?"

"Yes, I already took a look at your application. Shirley and Mahiru also talked about you," The woman smiled broadly. "That you really helped out in defending Ordis the other day. You're quite the heroine! My name's Aina Holden, by the way. I'm the receptionist for the Guild office at Bellguard Gate. I guess you could say I'm one of the Valkyries without much special skill."

"So… not all Valkyries get special skills?" Sinon asked, wide-eyed, eager to learn more about how this system worked.

Aina winced visibly at the statement; although she knew Sinon meant to harm by it, those words still felt like a slight. "Well, my only skills are that I have higher stamina and much greater poison resistance than normal humans, but unfortunately, my combat skills were deemed 'subpar' by the Guild. I have a few basic self-defense techniques though, if I must use them."

"I- I'm sorry to hear that," Sinon backpedaled in a contrite tone. "I- I didn't mean to pry…"

"It's not your fault," Aina shook her head sadly. "Besides, administrative work is still vital to Guild functions, so I'm still doing my part." She took a deep breath. "But that's enough about me. Are you sure you want to apply to join the Guild, and in a combat role no less? I'm not going to sugarcoat it, dear, but it really won't be pretty. You may wallow in the mud, be horribly mutilated, tortured, and killed, see horrible atrocities… for the most part, we Valkyries try to help each other… but you saw yesterday, didn't you? How messy and out-of-control the situation can get when the fighting starts?

Of course, there's no guarantee that it won't still happen if you don't join, but the risk is greater if you choose to serve on the front lines. So, are you sure about your decision?"

Sinon swallowed hard. "I understand, ma'am. But I've made up my mind. If I don't do this, it'll be other people, perhaps people who can't defend themselves, who suffer that fate. I know… the risks, but I have to do what I can to help."

Aina smiled faintly. "You are a true Valkyrie at heart. Of course, you have the right to quit or go on leave when you need to. Make sure you're not taking on too much yourself. And no need to call me 'ma'am'. "

"I understand."

"Then, welcome to the Valkyrie Guild."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

March 23, 1197 EC

Imperial Forward Camp Ahnererbe, Inab County, Continent of Pandyssia, Dark Empire, Realm of Darkness, World of Serus…

Imperial Army Commandant Cumberlayne Aresko was at his desk, furiously typing another email to the Imperial Logistics Corps, when Lieutenant Ulabore burst into his office. "Commandant!"

"Ah, is Captain Arvira finally here?" Aresko raised his head. "It's finally about time…"

"Um, no, sir!" The Lieutenant saluted. "There's a staff speeder at the gate, sir! Identified as Major Salle Serpa of the Imperial Military Police! And he's got two… guests with him!"

Aresko's eyes widened. "Th- then- " He coughed and quickly regained his composure. "Alert Taskmaster Grint and assemble the Gloom Walkers!"

Within minutes, a hasty honor guard of Imperial Troopers from the elite Gloom Walkers unit was assembled outside the main administrative building of the camp, led by Taskmaster Myles Grint and Lieutenant Ulabore.

As Major Serpa marched through the middle, escorted by Stormtroopers and black-clad Military Police Guard, Commandant Aresko stood at attention, sweating profusely.

"Major! I- I wasn't expecting such an honor! What brings you-"

"Save your false pleasantries for someone else," Major Serpa dismissed. "Commandant Cumberlayne Aresko, is it?"

"Y-Yes, it is I-"

"As to what brings me here, the Resistance holdout in Visegrad has finally fallen," Major Serpa stated imperiously. "And Captain Shevu has taken over operations to root out the remaining guerrilla insurgents operating in northern Essos. However, it has come to the attention of Army Command and Imperial Intelligence what a disgustingly sorry state of affairs this front is." Serpa cast a disdainful look over the Imperial Troopers standing at attention around him. "It's easy to see why…"

"Sir, if we have d-disappointed y-you in s-some way, we would be glad to r-receive your recommendations! I fear we are a-also short of supplies, and a-after yesterday's o-operation, many of my men are exhausted-"

"It is not me you will have to answer to, it will be the Temple of Triune soon, if you're not careful," Serpa threatened.

Aresko gulped wordlessly.

"Luckily, it seems our spooky friends in Intelligence have come up with a new… strategy of sorts. Hence, we have guests," Serpa smiled disingenuously, before snapping his fingers. "Come on out!"

The force of Stormtroopers and Military Police Guardsmen stepped apart to allow two people standing at their back to pass through, coming to either side of Serpa. One of them was a bulky man covered in rather-antiquated but unmarked armor from head to toe. The other was a young teenage girl with short, cyan-colored hair.

"B-Bounty hunters-?" Aresko frowned, looking incredibly askance. He had a hard time believing any Imperial Command would turn to such a scummy option over loyal Imperial Army troopers, no matter how poorly operations had been going for them in Inab County.

"Yes… and no," Serpa smirked, enjoying the insulted look on Aresko's face.

"Ha, you dipshits really screwed up yesterday!" The blue-haired girl derided acerbically at Aresko. "I can't believe you are the oh-so-feared Imperial Army!" She guffawed when Aresko's face soured further.

"Hmph. If yesterday was the best you trash could do, maybe I would've been better off contracting with Naixatloz instead," The armored man panned coldly.

Serpa cast a disapproving look at the armored man. "Careful now, knight."

"Hm, I'm not one of your Imperial minions," The man scoffed disdainfully. "We're here because of the contract, nothing more."

"Of course- you've made that clear many times before," Serpa feigned a smile, before turning back to the Imperial Commandant before him. "And we'll be taking over your office now." He pushed passed the stunned Aresko and strode into the camp office, with his "guests" and escorts in tow.


End file.
